Fans of the series, rejoice! Legacy of Kain: Defiance finally
answers (almost) all the questions the previous games have posed, and
then some. Newcomers to the series, don't be intimidated;
Defiance not only manages to sum up those games, but will provide you with one
of the best video game stories in quite a while. As the fifth game in
the Legacy of Kain series, Defiance has a lot to live up to, and
fortunately it delivers.

Picking up directly after the events of Soul Reaver 2, Defiance
tells the tale of two characters, Kain and Raziel. Kain is the last of
the vampires, a race once noble but now regarded as evil by the
citizens of Nosgoth, where the story takes place. Raziel was once a vampire
as well, but was cast aside by Kain and became a spectral wraith, and he
has sought vengeance ever since. While both characters have starred in
their own games, the stories are intertwined throughout the series,
and Defiance is the first to let you play as both characters.
Because of this, we get to see the story from both sides, and consequently
get a much better understanding of the events that have occurred. The
story begins with Raziel searching for a way out of the spectral realm,
and Kain searching for a way to hold back the forces that want to take
over Nosgoth. The games plays out in chapters, alternating between the
two characters. To say more about the story would be spoiling a huge
surprise, but rest assured that there will be plenty of twists and turns
before the final truth is revealed, and what a shock it is!

Moving away from the story, the next thing the series has been known
for is it's gameplay, or occasional lack thereof. Many times, the
previous games placed story first, and gameplay second. While this provided
us with an amazing world and superb narrative, often players would run
around avoiding combat as much as possible to get to the next story
scene. Crystal Dynamics took this to heart, and have crafted a much
deeper and more rewarding combat scheme for Defiance. Gone are the
same plain, 2-3 hit combos of the previous games, replaced with a
multitude of moves for both characters. Air juggles, multiple attack combos
and unlockable moves make combat much more enjoyable this time around,
and the inclusion of the telekinesis attacks is icing on the cake.
Instead of simply hacking away at enemies, you now can pick them up and
toss them about. This opens up some interesting options; you can toss
enemies over a cliff, draw them to you to fight more easily, or hurl them
at torches and spikes to inflict more damage. Both characters control
almost exactly the same, so players aren't disoriented when switching
chapters.

While Kain and Raziel control much the same, their chapters play quite
differently. Raziel's chapters mainly focus on puzzle solving, with
little combat aside from boss fights. Kain focuses more on combat, with
occasional puzzles to solve. The puzzles for Raziel center around his
reaver properties, he will gain the Dark, Light, Fire, Water, Air and
Earth reavers throughout the course of the game. Kain's puzzles are
mostly key fetch quests, but he also gains reaver upgrades during the
game. Both reavers get powered up throughout the course of the game, and
can unleash powerful effects depending on the element equipped. Fire
sets all enemies on screen ablaze, water freezes them, time slows the
game down to allow you to attack enemies at will, etc. Both Kain and
Raziel must constantly feed, however, and since charging the reaver and
filling their life bars are accomplished by the same thing (feeding on
enemies), players must balance the two to stay alive throughout the long
levels.

Speaking of levels, the Legacy of Kain series has always had level
design and unique architecture. Defiance delivers here as well, not
only surpassing other games in the series, but most games on the PS2 as
well. Levels range from dark, dreary crypts to elaborately furnished
mansions to gothic cathedrals; each environment is distinctly different
from the last and all of them stunning to behold. Character models are
very rich, with moving cloth and articulate fingers and faces for all
the main characters and enemies. The lighting effects are superb, from
torches on the walls to the glow of the reavers and the reflections in
water. There are no traces of seams or glitches in the environments,
the graphics are high quality throughout the game.

Finally, what has always been the hallmark of the series is the voice
acting and sound. Defiance does not disappoint here either. All
the main characters have returned from previous games (plus a couple of
surprises), and the cast works well together. From the sneering
arrogance of Simon Templeman's Kain to the resonating baritone of Tony Jay's
Elder God, each voice actor is at the top of their game here. Sound
effects are well done too; the different reavers produce different sounds
when used and footsteps, splashes, weapon hits and ambient sounds are
spot on. Music ranges from calm exploration themes to soaring
orchestral battle themes, with the music rising and fading as appropriate.

Unfortunately, not everything is polished. Unlike previous games, the
camera in Defiance cannot be manually adjusted. Instead, it
stays fixed on your character, with a limited ability to pan it left or
right. While it works most of the time, there are moments, usually in
the heat of battle, where it can become stuck behind an object limiting
visibility, or extremely close up making it impossible to see your
enemies. Also, while combat is much improved you can still skip quite a bit
of it and not miss much. Only occasionally does the game force you to
fight, usually to progress the story or to fight a boss.

In the end though, Defiance's good qualities far outweigh the
bad, and it delivers an amazing game experience. This is the best entry
yet in the series, and if they choose to continue it I would hope they
use this game as the template for future entries. Those looking for a
great action/adventure game need look no further, whether you are a
newcomer to the series or a long time fan, you can't go wrong with
Defiance.

ILS is not affiliated with, endorsed by or related
to any of the products, companies, artists or parties legally responsible
for the items referred to on this website. No copyright infringement is
intended.